The training sessions were all during the day. At night, when the actors got bored, they would gather to play games, but the resort’s internet signal was mediocre. Ever since that time everyone played together and all got disconnected at once, they had changed their way of entertaining themselves.
Tonight, Peng Chenglang suggested that each person tell one ghost story.
To create a spooky atmosphere, he had even dimmed the lights on purpose, then handed each participant a candleholder. After finishing their story, the teller had to blow out their candle.
An Juexiao had originally not wanted to join, but Su Lanxue, timid yet eager to participate, dragged her along for moral support, so she could only go with her helplessly.
When they arrived at the gathering spot, there were quite a lot of people.
Besides the other actors playing supporting roles, even the screenwriter and assistant director Cheng Wen were there. Cheng Wen was older than the young actors by quite a few years, but he still had a childlike heart and especially loved lively occasions, so it was not strange for him to come. As for the screenwriter, they had come to collect material. The two of them, along with the others, were gathered around one person as though surrounding the moon among the stars.
That person stood tall and straight. Even among a crowd of carefully selected actors and actresses with outstanding figures and looks, he did not pale in comparison in the slightest.
When she saw him, An Juexiao froze for a moment. Gu Zhanran came too?
Su Lanxue nudged the dazed An Juexiao with her elbow and signaled with her eyes. “See that? People in this circle are all sharp. They do not waste effort or spend time on people who do not matter.”
“So in the future, when you see who has the most people gathered around them, you will know who the big shot is, and you will know to tread carefully.”
After spending this period together, Su Lanxue and An Juexiao had really hit it off. Since Su Lanxue was also a few years older, she naturally found herself guiding and looking after An Juexiao from the perspective of someone more experienced.
But she did not know An Juexiao was acquainted with Gu Zhanran. Otherwise, she would not have said this.
An Juexiao had no intention of hiding it from Su Lanxue and honestly said, “There is no need to be careful. President Gu is actually quite nice.”
Su Lanxue asked in surprise, “You know Gu Zhanran?”
As her words fell, the way she looked at An Juexiao carried a hint of ambiguity.
The pairing of a female star and a powerful man always invited speculation.
At that moment, Gu Zhanran spotted An Juexiao and calmly stepped out of the crowd, asking with concern, “Do your legs and waist hurt? Instead of resting properly, you came to this ridiculous event?”
He was speaking from experience. After horseback riding, people usually suffered some aftereffects, sore waist, weak legs, aching hips.
In front of others, of course, it was not appropriate to mention that, so he only asked about her legs and waist.
Although Gu Zhanran was trying to be discreet, to Su Lanxue, his words still sounded suggestive.
“Oh?” Su Lanxue drew out the sound, then whispered into An Juexiao’s ear, “So this is why you disappeared for a while during morning riding practice.”
An Juexiao: “……”
No, that is not it, absolutely not, do not make things up!
“I’ll head off first, you two take your time chatting.” Su Lanxue patted An Juexiao’s shoulder, looking as if she was generously giving them space.
Their exchange was so vague and suggestive that even Gu Zhanran was confused, especially when An Juexiao shot him a resentful look.
Puzzled, he asked, “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, it is just that my glorious image in Sister Lanxue’s mind probably collapsed in an instant.”
Gu Zhanran paused, looked her up and down, then asked in confusion, “Glorious image?”
An Juexiao: “???”
What did he mean by that? Of course she had a glorious image!
Of course.
Definitely.
She had to…
Scenes of her past encounters with Gu Zhanran flashed through her mind like a movie.
The first time, she had been arguing with someone on set and ran into him in a dark corridor.
The second time, she had just woken up without makeup and was summoned to meet him.
Then there was the time she sat on a little white horse, frightened out of her wits, her hair flying everywhere, and even climbed onto the horse in an awkward, ridiculous way.
Thinking about it, there really was nothing glorious at all, not only not glorious, but downright embarrassing.
If Gu Zhanran could still think she was impressive after all that, then either he was blind or it was true love.
Perhaps her expressions had been too obvious, because Gu Zhanran seemed to understand. He patted her head and said, “Do not overthink it. I was just asking, not making a sarcastic remark.”
His hand rested lightly on her head, gently stroking, so tender that An Juexiao blinked. So she had misunderstood?
At that moment, Peng Chenglang’s loud voice rang through the room. “Hey, hey, I called everyone here to play a game, not to hold a boring social gathering. Save your energy.”
Peng Chenglang came from a wealthy family. He was the kind of young master who, even if he could not make it in the entertainment industry, could simply go home and inherit the family business. Because of that, he was straightforward in both words and actions. Even with assistant directors and screenwriters present, he dared to speak loudly and bluntly.
There were too many scheming people in the entertainment industry, so someone as direct and unpretentious as Peng Chenglang was actually easier to get along with. If he liked you, he liked you. If he did not, he did not. You never had to worry about him being one way on the surface and another behind your back.
With his call, everyone laughed and found their seats.
An Juexiao asked curiously, “By the way, President Gu, why are you here to play this game too?”
Gu Zhanran replied calmly, “I happened to run into Assistant Director Cheng, and he warmly invited me.”
Assistant Director Cheng, who was looking for a seat, happened to pass by and, hearing this explanation, could not help but admire Gu Zhanran’s ability to lie with a straight face.
Yes, he had extended a warm invitation, but it had gone to waste. Gu Zhanran had clearly only come after hearing that An Juexiao would be attending.
Hmph. Seeing Gu Zhanran’s composed and pretentious demeanor annoyed him. Suddenly struck by mischief, he grabbed Gu Zhanran and, acting dramatically, said, “Come, Little Gu, let’s sit together. You’re young and full of energy, protect me later.”
Gu Zhanran had originally intended to sit with An Juexiao, but this sudden interruption ruined his plan. Meanwhile, Peng Chenglang seemed to be on the same wavelength as Assistant Director Cheng and waved over An Juexiao. “Juexiao, over here, I saved you a seat.”
Gu Zhanran was momentarily speechless.
Unable to resist Peng Chenglang’s enthusiastic calls, An Juexiao finally said helplessly, “President Gu, I’ll go sit over there.”
“Mm.” Gu Zhanran appeared calm on the surface, but in truth, having his spot taken by the two of them left him quite annoyed.
He watched gloomily as An Juexiao walked over and sat beside Peng Chenglang.
Soon, everyone was seated. An Juexiao sat next to Peng Chenglang, with Su Lanxue on her other side.
Gu Zhanran happened to be sitting directly opposite her. With just a slight lift of her head, she could see him.
Actors all knew that lighting played a crucial role in shaping a person’s appearance. A good lighting technician could use light and shadow to highlight strengths and hide flaws. Some top actors even brought their own lighting teams to set.
But Gu Zhanran’s face was so refined that even under the demanding flicker of candlelight, it only appeared softer, without any distortion.
An Juexiao could not help but sigh. He truly had a face blessed by heaven.
Compared to him, the actress beside him appeared somewhat less striking. What caught An Juexiao’s attention more, however, was the actress’s behavior. Every move she made seemed deliberately aimed at attracting Gu Zhanran’s attention, making An Juexiao grumble inwardly.
Seriously, why sit so close? She was practically glued to him. And she kept flipping her hair, was she not afraid a candle might accidentally set it on fire?
Su Lanxue whispered to An Juexiao, “A man like Gu Zhanran, rich and handsome, is a prized catch. So many women want to sleep with him. Even if they do not gain any resources, they still would not lose out. With his looks and body, just getting that chance is already a win, you know.”
“Why were you so silly just now, giving up your seat like that?”
“….” An Juexiao had not thought much of it, she had simply been struck deeply by Su Lanxue’s bold remark, “sleeping with him is already a win.”
Her gaze drifted involuntarily toward Gu Zhanran, and her mind could not help but sketch out his physique, something she had personally experienced firsthand…
But her thoughts were cut off halfway when Peng Chenglang poked her arm and asked curiously, “What are you two whispering about again?”
Su Lanxue smiled and said with a double meaning, “I’m just telling Juexiao some real horror stories from the entertainment industry.”
As she spoke, she shot a sharp glance across the table.
The actress sitting beside Gu Zhanran caught the look and immediately understood. Considering Su Lanxue’s status as a popular rising star, she quietly shifted away a little.
“What horror story? I want to hear too!” Peng Chenglang perked up.
Su Lanxue teased, “It’s a secret between girls. You want to hear it? Cut off your little brother first, then I’ll tell you.”
Peng Chenglang leaned toward An Juexiao. “Xiaoxiao, we’re so close, you should tell me, right?”
An Juexiao joked, “I can hand you the knife.”
Rejected, Peng Chenglang looked like an innocent big dog, whining a couple of times and even nudging An Juexiao’s arm with his head.
He was already the comic relief of the crew, always fooling around and playing pranks on others. Now that everyone saw him get shut down by An Juexiao and Su Lanxue, they all burst into laughter.
Everyone’s smiles glowed under the candlelight, except for Gu Zhanran.
His brows were slightly drawn, his gaze deep and calm, as if he was thinking about something.
Yet as he continued watching, the coldness in his eyes softened because of the bright and lively figure across from him.
“Alright, alright, let’s officially start,” Peng Chenglang interrupted the laughter, tapping the table. “No need to be restrained, let’s all speak freely.”
Although he said that, everyone looked at one another, and no one spoke.
There were about a dozen people seated. Aside from Gu Zhanran, Assistant Director Cheng held the highest status. Being perceptive, he knew everyone was waiting for him to speak first.
He cleared his throat, composed himself, and said seriously, “I’ll go first. It’s also to broaden your horizons and give you a reminder.”
“You all know that before filming starts, a production will hold an opening ceremony to pay respects. If an actor has scenes involving death, the crew must give them a red packet.”
“These are the rules.”
“But some young people just don’t believe in these things.” Assistant Director Cheng lowered his voice, his sharp gaze sweeping across everyone.
Perhaps because of the natural authority of a director, An Juexiao felt that his sweeping gaze was even more frightening than the story itself.
The incident he mentioned had circulated in many productions. A male actor in a thriller drama had grown impatient with the lengthy rituals and even joked around while offering incense. Later, problems occurred during filming, and in the end, a large sum of money had to be spent to bring in a specialist to resolve it.
When telling a story, atmosphere and emotional control mattered the most.
Assistant Director Cheng’s voice rose and fell with perfect rhythm, his control of the room excellent, turning a fairly ordinary on-set ghost story into something truly chilling.
An Juexiao feared neither heaven nor earth, except ghosts. At the tense parts, she could not help but lean closer to Su Lanxue.
Seeing An Juexiao cling tightly to Su Lanxue in fear, leaving Peng Chenglang isolated on the side, Gu Zhanran’s mood improved slightly.
“Alright, that’s my story. Actually, I just wanted to remind you, since this film involves demons and spirits, remember to ask Old Zhang for red packets after filming,” Assistant Director Cheng laughed.
Hearing that, An Juexiao laughed too, her tension and fear instantly reduced by half. So in the end, Assistant Director Cheng had been setting Director Zhang up.
“Come on, let Little Gu tell everyone a horror story,” Assistant Director Cheng said cheerfully, patting Gu Zhanran’s shoulder. “If it’s not scary, we won’t let him off.”
Assistant Director Cheng had personal ties with the Gu family and was considered an elder to Gu Zhanran, so even though Gu Zhanran was one of the investors, he could still tease him freely.
Gu Zhanran glanced at Cheng Wen and said, “You shouldn’t be carrying a camera, you should be carrying a hoe.”
“Why?”
“You keep digging pits for people one after another.”
Hearing that, An Juexiao burst into laughter.
Gu Zhanran glanced at her. Before he could react further, the actress beside him also started laughing loudly, not only playing along but even overshadowing An Juexiao.
An Juexiao: “……”
“President Gu, you’re so humorous,” the actress giggled.
“…………” An Juexiao suddenly understood the literal meaning of “laughing so hard one trembles like a flower in the wind.”
Watching the three of them, Peng Chenglang finally realized what was going on. This was not a horror story gathering, this was a battlefield of emotions.